Type-writing-machine ribbon-operating mechanism.



J. ALEXANDER. TYPE WRITING MACHINE RIBBON OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.16, 1911.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR dZ-s Wexa/zdcr:

WITNESSES onws'r J. ALEXANDER.

MACHINE RIBBON OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED FEB.16,1911.

TYPE WRITING 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

JESSE ALEXANDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0F SIXTY-TWO ONE-HUNDREDTHS T0 F. M. DA COSTA, OF ROCKVILLE CENTER, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITING-MACHIN'E RIBBON-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February is, 1911.

Patented Dec.10,1912.

Serial No. 608,929.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jessa ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type- Writing-MaChine Ribbon-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to what are commonly termed typewriters and particularly the ribbon operatin mechanism.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple, strong and durable ribbon operating mechanism that will wind the ribbon from spool to spool and means for feeding and shifting the same and especially the rib.- bon operating mechanism suitably adapted to a front stroke visible typeWrit-ing machine.

The invention contemplates the use of spring pressed arms for holding and retarding the ribbon spools, also the use of friction drive for the ribbon feed shafts and also the feeding of the ribbon by the action of the carriage feeding of the tension drum, and also shifting devices.

The principles are illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings.

Figure 1, is a plan view of different parts of a machine which embody the improvements of my invention. Fig. 2, is a fragmentary vertical section and front elevation showing the arm for holding and retarding the left hand ribbon spool. Fig. 3, is a vertical longitudinal section showing the improvements of my invent-ion. Fig. 4, is a transverse sectional View of a clutch connection.

The ribbon spools 1 and 2 are adapted to alternate winding and unwinding the ribbon 3. Each spool is mounted onthe shaft such as 4 adapted to be rotated as will hereinafter be understood. Each spool is supported on a boss 5 adjacent one side 6 of the frame of the machine. The spool is held in place by means of a spring pressearm construction which consists of a base plate 7 and the arm plate 8 hinged together at 9. A spring 10 wound around the hinge andhaving its ends engaging the parts 7 and 8 holds the arm part 8 down against the upper surface of the spool. I also prefer to provide a knob 11 havin, a recess 12 for engaging the upper end of the shaft such as 4. The arm and adjacent parts are so proportioned as to produce some little friction and resistance to operation.

The ribbon winding shafts at the bottom carry pulleys such as 14 and 15. The shifting shaft 16 and which may be termed the driver is rotatably mounted in the frame of the machine and carries the small grooved guide pulleys 17 and 18 which are connected to the pulleys 14: and 15 by the cords '19 and 20 respectively.

The tension drum for pulling the carriage ,from right to left ofthe machine is indlcated at 21. This carries a spring pressed pawl 22 engaging the ratchet 23 which is mounted on the same axis as the winding drum 21 but free to rotate independently thereof. A friction disk 24: is attached to in the position shown the ratchet 23 and engages the friction disk 25 on the shaft 16. The ratchet and pawl are soarranged that when the carriage movestoward the right and the drum 21 is moved right handed as is common in this art that the pawl 22 slips freely over the .teeth ofthe ratchet 23 but when the carriage is feeding toward the left by any suitable carriage feeding mechanism the pawl 22 causes the ratchet 23 and disk 24 to rotate left handed or anti-clockwise and thus rotates the disk 25 on shaft 16 also anti-clockwise when viewed from the right in Fig. 11 This drives the pulley 15 on the right hand ribbon shaft by means of the cord 20 which moves in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.

When the right hand spool is filled and it is desired to reverse the ribbon the shaft 16 is pushed to the right by pressure on the knob 26 until the pulley 17 engages thedisk '24. The pulley then serves as a friction disk and will be rotated in the opposite direction from the' previous operation of the disk 25. The ribbon will thus be wound upon the left hand spool. To assist in the shifting movement I provide a spring arm 27 carrying a roller 28. Lever 29 pivoted at 30 engages the roller 28 in the position shown in Fig. 1. The forward end of the lever 29 engages in the collar 31 so that as the rod 16 is shifted toward the right, the rear end of the lever 29 is snapped to the left of the roller 28 and is held there by the relative position of the parts.

To prevent interference in the proper windin of the ribbon I the pul eys 17 and 18 with a suitable form of clutch such as shown in Fig. 4. The ripherally notched disk 16' on the shaft 16 is located inside of the pulley 17 leaving the race-way 17 for the balls 18. When the shaft 16 rotates right handed the pulley 17 is rotated by the disk 24 but when the shaft rotates left handed the balls 18' fall into the recesses of the disk 16 and the pulley is not rotated.

Where the ribbon mechanism a machine for visible writin shifting rod is applied to I prefer to 32 or guide 2 bar 33 which stands in the rear of the type bars (not shown). The universal bar is guided on th' sus ended at the rear end from the swinging hill? 35 to which it is pivoted at 36. spring 37 presses against the link 35 and holds the universal bar in its forward position. This spring 37 may be adjusted by a set screw 38 which has. a clamp nut 39. A lever 41 has one end pivoted at 42 to a stationary pivot, the other end is pivoted at 43 to the ribbon guide 32. The center of the lever 41 is pivoted at 44 to the universal barand is movable therewith The result is flopiu of thin patent may be obtained for in cents each, by Washington, 1). G.

prefer to provide 7 wardly again so as to clear the'ribbon from shafts, a disk for driving said laterally shiftable shaft in one direction or the other depending upon its lateral position, a collar carried bysaid laterally shiftable shaft, a pivoted lever having a'long end engaging said collar'and aspring arm having a roller, said lever havinga short arm engaging said roller.

2. in a typewriter ribbon operating mechanism, ribbon winding shafts, winding pulleys thereon, a rotatin shaft adapted to be laterallyv shifted, pu eys on said shaft, friction cords connecting said pulleys to the respective winding pul eys and means for rotating said shaft forward or backward.

In a typewriter ribbon operating mechanism, ribbon winding shafts, winding pulleys thereon, a rotating shaft, pulleys on said shaft, friction cords conneoting'said pulleys to the respective winding pulleys and means for rotating said shaft including a disconnecting-clutch connection consist-mg of a friction driving disk and two friction disks on said shaft, said shaft being adapted to? laterally shifted for the purpose speci- JESSE ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

E. H. THuns'roN, I F. M. DA Cosr addressing the Commissioner of Patents. 

